Purple Poppy Milk
by ashangel101010
Summary: From the time he was fourteen until he was eighteen, Brainiac Five was a part of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
1. Brainiac Five

Purple Poppy Milk Prologue

Suggested Themes:

Main Themes- Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins, Poor in Love by Destroyer

"Irma, he's too young to be part of the Legion. I mean he looks seven and obviously hasn't hit puberty yet. Also, I highly doubt that his _**impressive**_ intellect translates into emotional maturity." Rokk Krinn and Garth Ranzz both argued. Garth's lightning scar lights up like a warning that he was about to get even more emotional. Rokk is barely keeping his voice down, but he has better check of his emotions because he is the leader this term. Irma Ardeen is tempted to tug the hairband from her ponytail and shoot it at two of three founding members of Legion. However, giving into a childish desire will not solve the current problem.

"R.J. Brande humbly 'requested' that we at least give the boy an audition. We can at least do that for R.J. Brande after everything he's done for us." It is just the three of them in the conference room. Normally, they would be debating in the audition room, but it is far too big for the purpose of this meeting. Also, they did not want the rest of the Legion to know about this meeting because it might not matter to them now. But it all depends on the outcome of this private meeting.

"If he fails, then what will happen with the kid? Will the Coluans even take him back?" Under Garth's protests, he is genuinely concerned with the Coluan boy's fate. Coluans normally don't leave their planet, unless they are ambassadors, but there hasn't been an ambassador from Colu in almost fifteen years. Colu is still a member of the United Planets, but they have ceased being active after the last ambassador's suicide. In fact, Colu has only allowed a select few to visit their planet in recent years. R.J. Brande happens to be one of the select few, and his visit to the planet caused him to ask a favor of the Legion, which he privately funds.

"The Time Institute is very interested in having him join them. If he doesn't want to go with them, then he might try for the Starfleet Academy." Irma makes a mental note to try and create a Legion Academy sometime in the future. It would be nice to train more of these Legion hopefuls in a professional setting, rather than through Bouncing Boy's unofficial classes and through the helpful tips column of _"Legion Annual"_. Also, there would be less accidents if these hopefuls were formally trained to use their powers. However, this future audition will only be about one hopeful. Although, he doesn't look very hopeful.

"I don't think the Starfleet Academy would even accept him. You have to be at least sixteen and need a letter of recommendation from a captain. They're not going to accept a fourteen year-old, no matter how impressive. Especially given his planet's political isolation." Rokk informed Irma in a way that reminded her of her mother.

"Would you two at least _**let**_ the poor boy try out?" Irma's pink eyes are flashing, much like Garth's scar, like she is about to put a horrific image in their heads if they don't agree. But Garth and Rokk know she won't. At least, not yet.

"I hate to crush some poor kid's hopes like that. He looks like there's nothing joyous in his life. I hate to be another disappointment for this kid." They look at the picture in the files again. It is a boy with green skin, blonde hair, and green eyes. He is very small much like a child that will never grow up. The picture only shows the boy's upper half of his body, but purple is clearly the kid's favorite color. There is three, silver dots in a triangular symbol of his shirt front, almost like an arbitrary display of governmental ownership. He is not smiling, and the worst part is for the three, it is quite possible that the kid does not know how to smile. His eyes are lit as though there is a rebellion brewing inside the unsmiling child. They agree to let the boy try, not because R.J. Brande "asked" them to, but out of pity and curiosity for the little Coluan.

It is April 1, 2014 at exactly 1:01 PM. It just so happens to be the exact day and time when Brainiac Five was born, not that it was actually worth celebrating to the young Coluan. In the past, his birthday only signified to him as a day to endure the Hive's annual assessment of his well-being and mental progress. Now, it is perhaps the best day of his life thus far. But only because he is finally fourteen-years-old.

"Brainiac Five, today you are old enough to make the Choice." The Choice is what every Coluan has to make once they turn fourteen. The main point of it is to allow young Coluans a chance to either forever remain on Colu and focus on their careers. Or to go into the great unknown and never come back. However, the choice is radically different for Brainiac Five because he is a Dox. To be exact, the only Dox left at the government's disposal. The Dox family has been Colu's greatest resource for the family has twelfth-level intellect as oppose to the average Coluan's tenth-level intellect. However, madness runs rampant in the family.

"You may choose to remain here where you will surely excel in whatever career you attempt. Or you may leave." Normally, the "and never return" part is added to the usual spew for usual Coluans. However, the Hive would prefer to have the Dox come back if he chooses to leave. If only for the latest Brainiac to reproduce and leave behind his progeny like his mother.

"The Hive has provided you everything that you could ever need. It would be highly advisable if you continue to let us do so, in return, you shall contribute to the rest of society." The Hive consists of five Coluans who happen to be selected to lead because of their proficiencies in their individual fields of Health, Law, Science, Education, and Technology. They are the government of Colu and oversee the daily lives of almost all of the Coluans. There are three women and two men that make up the Hive. The women have very short, blonde hair and humorless, green eyes, while the men are bald with the same uninteresting eyes. They are the oldest Coluans on the planet, but they don't look a day over thirty. Their superior genetic engineering and technology is what Colu is primarily known for to the rest of the universe. And viewing the rest of the universe as inferior.

"I am very grateful for the Hive's plentiful resources." By far, it is the most truthful thing he has ever said to them, not counting the times he had to give updates about his well-being. His robotic caretakers used to do that for him until he disassembled them when he was seven. They took away his prototype Time Bubble, a device that may have allowed him to time-travel, because time-travel is forbidden on Colu. He had never been so furious in his young life, not even when being told the truth about his parents. Of course, the Hive was alerted to this when the robots' homing device went offline. A Hive member came to investigate and found the young Coluan making his own dinner. It was then that Brainiac Five stiffly told them that he can take care of himself from now on and didn't require anyone. And the Hive let him.

"Your gratefulness is noted. What have you chosen?" Her voice pitches ever so slightly higher. Brainiac Five knows that she and the rest of the Hive are very anxious about his choice. He almost derives pleasure from eliciting an emotional reaction from those stiffs. Much like when the Master derived pleasure from refusing to regenerate for the Doctor. Once his robot caretakers were gone, he was able to receive gifts from the ambassadors and important entrepreneurs that came to visit him. Before the robot caretakers would take his gifts and give them to the Hive, which were promptly melted down and recycled into helpful materials. His favorite gift was video files of every _"Doctor Who"_ episode ever made and it came from R.J. Brande.

"I have chosen to leave Colu and go to Earth to join the Legion of Super-Heroes." He almost smirks triumphantly as though he tortured a Dalek. R.J. Brande gave him those video files when he was eight and did not return until two months ago. The Durlan trapped in human form (he'll investigate that once he settles on Earth) had hoped that Brainiac Five would be faring better. Alas, to the rich man, he found a child that only knew of social interactions from _"Doctor Who"_. He promised Brainiac Five to save him, to make up for failing another Dox, by giving him a chance to be a superhero. Or at least to try out for a superhero team.

"Are you positive in your choice? If you are, then we strongly advise you to come back after you mature and procreate with a selected Coluan." Brainiac Five almost claps at the amount of self-restraint that the Hive is exhibiting over their anger and disgust. Of course, they will have to accept his choice to leave. Brainiac Four's choice to leave was refused and she decided to kill her parents in retaliation. The Hive does not wish to repeat that past, even though Brainiac Five has only inherited her physical features and intelligence. However, his hair is exactly like his father's hair. At least that is what the robotic caretakers were programmed to tell him.

"Affirmative. I will come back when I choose to." It is a lie that fills Brainiac Five with the kind of warmth that he got from receiving gifts. He is never going to ever come back to this planet. Nor will he ever have children. He swears to himself that he shall be the last Brainiac in the universe and will not damn anymore to this mantle. So far, all the previous Brainiacs have destroyed worlds, killed people, and abandon their kin. He will make up for it by being nothing like his ancestors. He will be rebellious and not allow his logic to cruelly rule him like it did to the people before him.

"At six o' clock tomorrow morning, a ship shall pick you up and take you to the trans-matter gate. You may leave." The Hive stands up from their honeycomb-shaped table and bow before him. Brainiac Five does not have to bow back because they are inferior to him. However, he does bow in a fleeting moment of kindness. They do not matter to him anymore and neither does the rest of Colu. He will spend his last night packing up his belongings and bidding farewell to his childhood home. He feels liberated already.

His childhood home is two hundred miles outside the capital, isolated from the populace. The house is surrounded by a hundred acres of grass and ancient, purple trees. There used to be a force field around his home, but after dismantling the caretakers, Brainiac Five decided to take apart the force field generator. The purpose of the force field was to ensure that Brainiac Five would not be able to get out, but he argued with the Hive that he had nowhere else he wanted to go on Colu. And like his insistence of not needing robotic caretakers, they obeyed his wish. He did recycle the force field generator into a belt. He also recycled the parts of his robot caretakers to make a prototype Flight Ring. He can fly for about a minute. Hopefully, he'll find a metal on Earth that will strengthen duration.

The ship is one of the fastest that Colu has to offer, which is highly sought after by certain planets in the United Planets, and shaped much like a comet with a florescent tail. Within five minutes and in a blur of purple, Brainiac Five is deposited in front of his home. The ship is automatically programmed to return to the capital after dropping off the worshipped Coluan. Brainiac Five does not watch the ship depart like he normally does, but rather decides to pack his belongings. He didn't do so early because he wanted to make sure that the Hive would actually let him go, and they wisely did in a very begrudging manner.

His home is designed to constantly remind Brainiac Five that he is nothing but a Brainiac. The house is three cylindrical structures with three stories. Two are in the far back and separated by half an acre of purple trees, while being connected to the each other by the hallways of the stand-alone cylinder. From above, Brainiac Five knows that the house is purposely created to look like the Brainiac symbol, his family's crest. The right side (that is the right cylinder and hallway) is where Brainiac Five's room (along with a spare bedroom and private bathroom), lab, and library are located. The left side is where the kitchen, dining room, public bathroom, and educational room are located. The left side is also where Brainiac Five receives his important visitors and patiently listens to their prattle until they give him his gift.

The stand-alone cylinder also acts as the elevator to the house. Brainiac Five chooses the second floor where the library is located. The library actually takes up the whole second floor, including the hallway. The reason for this is that the library has books that been collected by various members of the Dox family since Brainiac One, and even a few books before that time. Books were viewed obsolete and a waste of resources to average Coluans, especially since data files can hold more information and take up less space than books. However, the Dox family is known for eccentrics, so the Hive have not ordered the books to be recycled. It was the only place that his robotic caretakers were programmed not to disturb, so he hid inside the library and read as much as he could when he was younger. Now, he has to make a very important decision regarding which books he should bring to Earth.

He has two storage cubes. The grey cubes are tall enough to reach his knees, but light enough for him to lift even filled to the max. One is for his clothes, tools, emergency supplies, interesting gifts he has received, some unfinished experiments, and his blueprints for future experiments. The other cube is only for the books. There are exactly 15,000 books that encompass the library and the shelves in the hallway. However, the cube has a limit of 500 items, in this case, it can only hold up to 500 books. The reason for this is once an item enters the cube it is converted to digital data and stored much like files on a primitive computer. Luckily, there are no Vashta Nerada living inside the books.

He has read all 14,999 books that the library has to offer. Half of the books were from various planets that Vril Dox II (Brainiac Two) visited and documented centuries ago, but the books are horribly outdated by this point. Some of the books were obviously gifts from past ambassadors that visited past Brainiacs. Those books were flattering propaganda about their own planet and why Colu should trade or ally with them. He has one journal from his father about his times as an ambassador before he killed himself. The white leather journal is the only reminder of his father, other than his hair. The only book he hasn't read is a purple-paged book written by Brainiac One's "wife". The book has obviously been cared for in the past with someone (most likely Vril Dox II) refurbishing the pages and fixing the spine. Brainiac Five cannot decipher it because of the antiquated syntax and being formatted like some "magic" spell. Coluans do not care for a past before Brainiac, or at least that is what a millennium of conditioning and brainwashing has imparted on them.

The only books that he shall keep for himself are Vril Dox II's observations (if only to update the ones that interest him), his father's journal, and the "magic" book. The rest of the books are only books that he shall donate to various historical societies, museums, and to R.J. Brande's private collection. Even though those books are dull manuals and biased propaganda, he knows that some historian, curator, or rich man shall view them as treasures from a mysterious, isolated planet. He could just get more storage cubes if he wanted the whole library with him, but he doesn't. He can come back to this place anytime he wanted to. However, he has no desire to return. Besides, he'll be far too busy "updating" the Legion.


	2. Superman Museum

Purple Poppy Milk Chapter One

Suggested Themes:

Main Themes- Sailor Saturn Theme from Sailor Moon, Evicted from Adventure Time

He is floating. He is floating upside down, watching his planet come into full view from the observation deck's "glass" bottom. He has only seen holographic displays or video footage of Colu. It is a special experience that the Hive has personally ensured to dragging out as long as they logically can. They are hoping the view would be enough to convince Brainiac Five to change his mind once he reaches the security station where the trans-matter gate is located. He almost smiles at the futility of the Hive's trick. The trick would only work if Brainiac Five had any sentimentality for his home planet, of which he does not possess. However, he is admiring his last glimpse of Colu with tepid eyes.

There is a clash of deep purple and lilac purple. The deep purple is from the trees and grass that decorate the land, although there is some white from the polar ice caps and some honey-yellow from the desert regions. However, within the deep purple, there are pools of silver and gold from the cities that 99% of population live in. The biggest pool almost swallows one-fourth of the land, which is the capital city known as Bryak-Yod. He knows that the Hive are watching him from their little comb of a government building. He knows that they are analyzing his face, in hopes for some sort of reaction. Brainiac Five has watched the footage in which his mother was leaving Colu forever. She didn't react at all; her mint-green eyes lacked any warmth like she was holding Brainiac Five for the first time again.

His eyes are drawn to the lilac purple. The water of Colu is the lilac color and covers only half the planet, while the other half is dominated by the deep purple of land. He almost regrets that he'll never get to swim in the ocean. He has never gone to the beach, even after destroying his caretakers. The beach, like almost all of Colu, is heavily monitored to ensure the security and safety of the citizens. Also, to make sure that no outsider has trespassed on their planet. If he went there, then the Hive would've known that he left his home when he isn't allowed to be in public. The beach and, by extension, the ocean were forbidden to him. It would've been pleasurable to watch the six moons rise as the sun fell at the beach.

In one minute, nine seconds, and ten nanoseconds, his comet-like ship will dock into the security station's port. The ship will automatically restore gravity as per docking protocols. It is then that he'll retrieve his cubes from the storage compartment and go through the security check. Finally, he'll be escorted to the trans-matter gate and asked once more if it is truly his desire to leave Colu. He does have one more regret that he will also be unable to see the violet Magellanic Clouds. They hid his world away for so many centuries from the rest of the universe. He almost empathizes with Colu because he too was hidden away from the universe for so long. But Colu is just a miniscule planet in comparison to the rest of the universe.

The trans-matter gate is a silver arch with a greenish portal swirling about in its confines. Brainiac Five has to wait exactly five minutes, twelve seconds, and three nanoseconds for his cubes to be checked over by the security robots. They had to make certain that he wasn't going to bring anything that could jeopardize Colu in anyway like classified documents or equipment that could advance non-Coluan races. Of course, they ask him if he truly desires to leave Colu, and he once again repeats his affirmation. He tucks the cubes under his arms and step through the gate without glancing back. He knows the Hive members are perhaps showing their despair to each other in this moment, which makes his mouth almost twitch into a smirk.

On the other side of the gate, he is greeted by an incursion on his olfactory and periphery senses. There is a strong smell of sweat and various other body fluids from people streaming out of and into public trans-matter gates. However, his eyes are darting and cataloguing the different "alien" races that he has never met. Emerald-green skin of Orions. Pointed ears of Vulcans. White hair of Naltorians. Insect wings of Kwai. Years of watching _"Doctor Who"_ can never quite prepare him for the variety of life before his eyes. This is fantastic!

"Metropolis is the second most popular tourist destination on Earth. Gotham is the first." He knows R.J. Brande would be here. The Durlan trapped inside the portly form of a red-haired man, almost seems obsessed with making amends to the Dox family. More specifically to the latest descendant of Vril Dox II.

"Mr. Brande, it is unnecessary for you be here. I can just download a map of the city in five nanoseconds and navigate my way to Legion headquarters." Brainiac Five stated politely. Although, his enthusiasm has not dampen. Not yet.

"The audition won't be until noon. I'm planning to escort you around the city if you would oblige me." Momentarily, Brainiac Five thought about rejecting Mr. Brande's offer. However, he remembers that this is exactly what his ancestors have done to people who aided them. Mr. Brande has gotten him an audition with superheroes who normally wouldn't allow fourteen-year-olds to even try out. More importantly, Mr. Brande introduced him to _"Doctor Who"_, the show that was his introduction to the rest of the universe.

"I gladly accept your escort services, Mr. Brande." The Durlan reaches to grab Brainiac Five's cubes, and the Coluan allows him to do so. The cubes aren't heavy, but they stab into the Coluan's armpits and underside of his arms.

"I have a Carrier waiting for us. We can start with the Superman Museum since it just opened. It becomes crazily crowded after seven." Brainiac Five knows of Superman. He's one of the greatest heroes of the 21st century, a founding member of the Justice League, the Last Son of Krypton, and his alter ego is Clark Kent. On Colu, Superman and all Kryptonians (and Daxamites) are met with utter disdain because the Man of Steel was an enemy of Brainiac One. Needless to say, Brainiac Five is very attracted to Superman's infamy.

The ride to the museum is filled with visual reminders that Metropolis, and perhaps to an extent the Earth, is not as advanced as the denizens would like to believe. Some of the buildings are made of concrete and outdated steel, but are historical places such as the _Daily Planet_ building. There are buildings that are an imbalance of "extraterrestrial" metals and Earth alloys; those are the ones that are archetypes like the first pyramids. The latest buildings, the ones that are completely made of metals and alloys not even from this solar system, are gold and absorbing the rays of the yellow sun much like Superman. There are tubes that act as a mode of transportation when the hover-trains are down or there was too much air traffic. The city is nearly a thousand years behind Colu, but Brainiac Five admires the city clinging to its past.

The Superman Museum is only a few meters away from the city's center. The museum is shaped almost exactly like the Fortress of Solitude, almost eerily matching the sharp angles and enormity. However, where there was vast tracts of frozen nothing, there are sprawling acres of foliage and benches. Also, the museum sport Superman's color palette that gives the building an almost familiar feeling, in contrast to the cold loneliness of Superman's fortress from the world. Brainiac Five finds the colors appropriate, but a bit obsessive. It's almost like the city refuses to have an identity without Superman, much like Colu refuses to evolve without a Brainiac.

Brainiac Five and R.J. Brande are the first visitors of the day to enter the museum. The museum's lobby is decorated in holographic images of Superman in his various media incarnations. The images are nice, but inane to Brainiac Five. He is here to learn about Superman for who he truly was without the brainwashed bias of his planet. He first goes to the origins hall where it starts images of Krypton being destroyed, some even have Brainiac One physically crushing the planet, and then goes to short, photographic images of Superman growing up as Clark Kent. Brainiac Five has learned nothing new about the Man of Steel's origins, but he could go to Smallville if he wants a more detailed origin story.

He then goes onto the main and largest hall of the museum. The hall is all about Superman's most memorable moments with salvaged video footage, choppy images taken by Jimmy Olsen, and paraphilia solely associated with Superman. There are several tubes filled with versions Superman's costumes. Next to the tubes, there are only items that Superman can use such as the Phantom Zone projector, hence why they aren't under a protective force field. Then, there is a timeline detailing Superman's life. However, Brainiac Five notices that several events clash such as Superman battling Darkseid on Apokolips yet saving Mars from being "collected" by Brainiac One. Brainiac Five knows that most of these so-called events were probably taken from the comic books or movies since, from Coluan records, Brainiac One never even went to Mars.

"Brainiac Five, come here. You must check out the quote globe. It lists a quote that Superman has for almost every planet in the universe." The quote globe is at the center of the room and is a holographic display of the universe, but thankfully with a keyboard so Brainiac Five can just type the name of any planet for a quote. Again, Brainiac Five notices that most of the quotes were provided by some Superman fan (or a comic book historian) from a particular world, rather than from Superman himself. Brainiac Five types in his planet to see what quote is provided by his planet. There should be no quote since his planet abhors the Kryptonian.

"_A world so sophisticated that every centimeter is covered with machines and computers. There hasn't been so much as a single blade of grass for centuries."_ The quote is provided by Ambassador Kajz Dox of Colu. Brainiac Five is a bit stupefied that his father provided this quote. He has read his father's journal and it never mentioned a visit to the Superman Museum, nor do any of his data logs that he gave to the Hive indicate that he ever set foot in Metropolis. The quote is grossly inaccurate since there is grass on Colu along with the trees. Granted, most of the grass is synthetic and is more for decoration, but that doesn't make the quote any more accurate. The quote is the first lie by his father that Brainiac Five has come across.

"I've seen that look before. It's the same one Vril gave to Lyrl and Stealth before he abandoned them on Voorl." Brainiac Five's eyes are bright with resentment and his mouth is puckered in disgust. He would be surprise by the callousness of his ancestor's actions, but, sadly, was perhaps the least despicable action that his ancestor has taken. In observation journals, Vril Dox II has watched five planets die before his eyes and not lifted a finger to help them. He just recorded his thoughts on the planet's death and the reactions of the native life.

"I apologize for my reaction. I know I shouldn't be surprised by my father's lie nor by my ancestor's actions. Abandoning kin is, after all, a dominant trait in my family." Brainiac Five stated sardonically. His father isn't a Dox by blood, but his actions reflect ones that a Dox would take. Historically, most Doxs die by the hands of their children. Vril Dox II killed Vril Dox I. Lyrl Dox almost succeeded in killing Vril Dox II. However, Brainiac Five's mother was successful in killing her father and mother when she was just fourteen. Brainiac Five has ensured his own sterility to prevent that same fate repeating for him.

"I don't think your father was 'lying' per say. I think that was how he viewed Colu in general, but he couldn't say that it was his own opinion without being charged with treason by the Hive. Machines and computers are normally lifeless, while a single blade of grass is teeming with life. He probably considered Colu dead in his eyes." Brainiac Five could concede, but there isn't any proof to Brande's claim. It's more of a hypothetical observation that a dead man could've thought of. But Kajz Dox is dead and cannot verify the claim.

"Do you want to go to the Superman memorial? Technically, it's not part of the museum, but it's considered the end of Superman's life. Also, the museum lacks information about Superman's death. There's a crazy cult that believes Superman left Earth in disgrace and seeded worlds as atonement. Honestly, if Superman was such a disgrace, then what would be the point in honoring him?" Brainiac Five doesn't answer immediately. There are discrepancies in Superman's "death" such as where and how he died. The date of his "death" is actually consistent in most of the records that the museum provides. January 1st, 2100 is the day that Superman vanished from records after that date. Kryptonians cannot live forever, but they have longevity that allows them to outlive most humans. Superman is most certainly dead by now, but it is momentarily stimulating for Brainiac Five to ponder the circumstances surrounding Superman's death.

"No thank you. I am tired of death. I believe you should show me the rest of Metropolis since we have three hours, forty-nine minutes, twelve seconds, and two nanoseconds before my audition is scheduled to begin." Brande lets out a deep laugh at Brainiac Five's statement. The Coluan knows that the Durlan is easily amused by time being counted down to the very nanosecond. When they first met, Brainiac Five nearly jumped when he heard the Durlan laugh. Now, Brainiac Five's mood lightens because Brande doesn't seem so concern anymore. They both leave the museum and spend their remaining time exploring Metropolis.


End file.
